Woman’s Hour

Q. What’s the world like where you are today? What have you got planned for when you
finish answering my questions?
A. It’s overcast and there’s a nip in the air. We’re travelling from Berlin to Amsterdam and going out for dinner this evening. We’re currently debating whether to eat Hamburgers or Sushi…

Q. A lot of the interviews I’ve read with you guys start off with you having to state the bleedin’ obvious (‘we’re named after the Radio 4 show’) – how long do you reckon it’ll be before you stop being so polite?
A. There’s only one way to find out.

Q. You have a debut album under your belt. Do you feel like it’s a good distillation of where you are right now or are you restlessly moving on to the next thing, permanently dissatisfied, or all?
A. ‘Permanently dissatisfied’ is a little negative. I prefer to think that we’re constantly developing, defining and redefining our practice. We’ve started writing now songs and we’re eager to see where it leads us.

Q. Way back in 2011 the Guardian called you ‘a perfectly blended musical smoothie’ – and then you went quiet for a bit. What happened?
A. We retreated. We needed to create new work behind closed doors.

Q. You have a warm groove that reminds me of Electribe 101 but I can also see the connection a couple of my buddies draw between you and London Grammar. Do you feel like they snuck in and made off with kudos due to you?
A. I’m blissfully unaware of most connections people make to our music.

Q. How do you work? Does the music arise organically from you all working together in the same room or do you pair off, work on bits in isolation etc?
A. A bit of both, we all work in isolation alongside working together, and we bring our ideas to the group.

Q. What are you listening to at the moment? Do you find other music helps you create your
own or does it distract?
A. It’s definitely a distraction. I’m sure music affects us subconsciously but we don’t listen to much music together, and we all listen to different stuff.

Q. I read that you’re big readers, that you like to soak up books in your downtime. What are you reading right now?
A. The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer.

Q. What’s on the horizon?
A. Right now? Finishing the second series of Twin Peaks in the tour van…

Woman’s Hour, ‘Conversations’ is out now on CD / LP / Digital on Secretly Canadian. Buy it on iTunes